


Silver Lines in Grisly Places

by CainneHess



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Age Difference, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2020-04-23 15:26:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19153771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CainneHess/pseuds/CainneHess
Summary: It was all very quick. It couldn’t have taken more than a minute for the assailant to have me hogtied, blindfolded and gagged, and stowed to the back of his horse. “Since you’ve behaved,” I heard his voice low in my ear through my hiss of pain when he janked at my hair, pins in his handful digging into my scalp, “I’ll let you sleep through some of it.” And then he hit me, with something hollow, maybe glass, to the temple, over and over, until I lost consciousness.





	1. Kidnapping: An Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> So, here is a remastered, better planned, better written (hopefully) version of my story Silver Lines in Grisly Places. I want it to be known that, although I will never specifically write the main character with a specific hair color, eye color, body type, it is heavily implied, to suit the narrative, that she has light colored skin, has long hair, and is somewhere between average weight to mildly overweight. Also, I'm guilty of currently thirsting after Matthias Schoenaerts, so Mr. Lodewijk Boer is fully inspired by his role in Suite Française. I also briefly thought about Clancy Brown in Shawshank Redemption (who I'm also thirsting after.) Of course, you're more than welcome to imagine Mr. Boer whatever way you'd like.

I was stepping out of the Valentine bank just as a man burst through the saloon window across the street, the shards of glasses immediately mixing in with the mud, and my first thought was about avoiding that particular patch of ground if I were ever walking along the saloon. Another man, maybe twice the size of the one he’d most likely just thrown out the window, walked through the doors and down the steps, ready for a fight. But within just a few seconds, the smaller man proved to manage himself just fine. I watched with raised brows as he dodged many of the punches thrown, and landed a few, too. It was kind of fascinating. I would have stayed to watch, if it weren’t for my guard’s hand on my upper back.

I broke my gaze away from the fight and looked at Mr. Boer. He smiled at me and simply nodded his head towards the coach parked by the sheriff’s office, angling the parasol above me to avoid the raindrops from soaking my shoulder, despite the fact that water was beginning to trail from his hairline down his face. He looked and dressed the part of a military man, as his background indicated. His hair was well-kept, short parted fade slicked back with pomade, and developing the barest hint of a shadow across his jaw. And he always wore a two piece suit that resembled his old uniform along with black boots. As far as I knew, he was the most beautiful man I’d ever laid eyes on, and I couldn’t even explain why. Maybe I was just attracted to that permanently stern set of his brows, and that intense look in his eyes. It always made me shudder, if just a little. He was big, too. Tall, broad and lightly built. Him being able to lift me like I was a child might have attributed to the attraction, too.

“Let’s go, madam. Your sister will worry if we fall behind schedule.” I chuckled and glanced over at the men once, wrestling in the mud with seemingly the whole town looking on. Then I turned and began walking towards the coach. My gloved fingers twisted into my skirts and lifted, trying to keep them from picking up the mud even as we walked along the wooden floors.

“I feel just a little lonelier every time you call me that, Lodewijk.” He offered his hand out to me, and helped me down the steps in front of the gunsmith’s.

“I thought I was only allowed to call you by name in private?” He had his brow raised, but his lips were still quirked in a playful little smile. A heavy sigh and pouty lips, and he was near grinning.

“Just because I made the rule doesn’t mean I dislike it less than you do.” He hummed in response, and at the coach, he offered his hand once again as he held the door open for me.

He closed the parasol, stepped in, careful not to drip on me, then closed the door. Not a second later, the coach was moving, horses coaxed into motion by the driver whipping their reins. And just as quickly, my knees were sinking into the cushions on either side of Lodewijk’s hips. His lips were warm despite how cold the drops of water clinging to his skin were. I’d almost forgotten the feeling of his scruff against the sensitive skin surrounding my lips. I could feel him heave a breath through his nose, moaning into my mouth at the pleasant tingling of my nails scraping against his scalp very gently. His touch felt feather light as it slid along my waist, and my dress suddenly felt so irritatingly dense. His hands gripped at my hips, my thighs, trying to pull me closer, but there was only so much he could do. There were far too many thick layers to get me as close to him as he wanted. He parted with a groan. “Madam, would you-“

“Do you consider us to be in public?” I asked with a slight frown. He huffed.

“Adelaine, would you please take this mess off?” I chortled at that, visibly amused. Lodewijk, he was nothing if not a gentleman. He both acted and looked solemn. Anything outside of that was rare. Rare for anyone outside of me. His devotion was exclusive.

“I don’t know if that's a good idea, Lodewijk. Can’t you wait? We’re not far from Rhodes.” I wanted to tease him, but he just grunted and leaned forward to nip at a spot at the nape of my neck, just below my choker, that made me mewl. He knew me too well. “I suppose that’s a ‘no’..”

“Forgive my eagerness, but it’s been over a month since I've had you to myself this long.” My toes curled in my shoes at that first touch of his fingers brushing along my pelvis through my paper-thin bloomers. When did his hands get under all that fabric? “I can’t say I’m angry at your father for it, though. I’m glad I had the opportunity to personally arrange your accommodations.”

“I really would appreciate it if we didn’t talk about my father right now,” I breathed out, tugging desperately at my skirts to get rid of the layers between my behind and his lap. His chest vibrated against my belly in a silent laugh, but he gripped my hips under my underwear and ground me down against the bulge in his pants. I didn’t have the will-power to push his hands away when they began pulling the ribbons at my lower back.

The coach suddenly came to a stop, the jolt nearly sending me to the floor if Lodewijk hadn’t been so quick to pull me into his chest, feet pressing against the edge of the opposite bench to keep us in the seat. I pulled back just enough to look at his face. “What happened?” He cradled my head in one of his hands against his chest as he craned his neck towards the window, his other hand reaching to nudge the curtain aside.

Suddenly, Lodewijk pushed me off his lap, hard. I landed on the floor, crying out at the shock of pain and heat that spread over my bones when the wooden edge of the bench slammed into my spine at the base of my neck. Tears began to drip down my cheeks immediately and I was choking on my own sobs. My gaze was blurry and unfocused. I couldn’t see the face of the person who reached into the coach and dragged me out by the lace covering my chest. Another wave of heat and blinding pain when I landed on my back. I was turned onto my chest, and if I hadn’t had just enough wit to turn my face to the side, I would have cracked my chin and inhaled some soil. It was all very quick. It couldn’t have taken more than a minute for the assailant to have me hogtied, blindfolded and gagged, and stowed to the back of his horse. “Since you’ve behaved,” I heard his voice low in my ear through my hiss of pain when he yanked at my hair, pins in his handful digging into my scalp, “I’ll let you sleep through some of it.” And then he hit me, with something hollow, maybe glass, to the temple, over and over, until I lost consciousness.


	2. A Memorable First Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am... so sorry this took so ridiculously long?? I meant to post this a few days after the first, but I went on a cruise. And then after the cruise, I just kept forgetting? Anyway, I sincerely hope you enjoy this next chapter.

“Miss?” I felt fingers lightly slapping at my cheeks, and I groaned. My body and eyelids were heavy with exhaustion. It was like I hadn’t gotten any sleep in weeks, months. It took seconds for me to start drifting again, but then the slaps became more insistent, slightly more forceful. “Miss, can you hear me?” I tried to turn my head away from the man’s hand, and ended up wailing when my sore temple pressed against the hard ground, and pain bloomed through my entire skull. The man above me uttered a curse. An arm under my back, another under my knees, and I was lifted off the ground. Another wave of pain, now all along my back, too, and I sobbed. “I got you. You’re okay,” he breathed out, his whisky and smoke warm gust brushing over my face, “I’ll have you taken care of-“

The next time I woke up, I was able to open my eyes, only a little. My sight was unfocused. All I could see was the blur of what I assumed were bright lights above me. I closed them immediately after, wanting to avoid nausea. My head was pounding, but the pain was significantly less than it had been earlier. I heard two voices, men, talking to the left (or was that the right?) Maybe across the room, but I couldn’t really be sure. I was disoriented, couldn’t really think straight. There was a spare second where I didn’t feel all that bad, but then my stomach lurched violently, and I rolled onto my side, so fast I had to stop myself from rolling further by pressing a hand against the hard surface of whatever I was lying on, heaving. I didn’t really hear the curses or the rapid steps, but I felt it when a pair of gentle hands twisted my hair out of the way and rubbed soothing circles along my lower back.

“Head injuries, they’re, ah, quite somethin’.” A voice I didn’t recognize. “She got the worst of it. I’m surprised she’s awake at all. Those blows to the side of her head, the blindfold cushioned ‘em a bit, but she was still hit quite hard. Probably multiple times. And she must have banged up her head even worse when she fell off that horse. She’s a fighter, alright.”

“And her back?” That was the man from earlier. His voice was close to my ear. “I ain’t never studied medicine or any of that, doctor, but I could tell it hurt her when I picked her up.” When I'd finished emptying the contents of my stomach, he helped ease me onto my back again. My lips and chin were cleaned, too, with a handkerchief, but I couldn’t tell by whom.

“Well, I looked at it. She took a few bad hits, she’s already bruised pretty badly. But I can’t tell you right now if it’ll be a problem.” I felt a hand pry my eyelids open, and I could barely make out the face hovering above me. “She’s not completely lucid, but after the beatings she took, I’d say it’s still short of a miracle.”

“And where can I take her? I don’t know where she lives, and I don’t have a place to take her to.”

“Well, Mr. Morgan, I wouldn’t let you take her with you, either.” The doctor chuckled. “I have a few rooms on the second floor for patients like this little lady. Someone else brought a man earlier, head wound, too. My guess is, they were traveling together, but that will be answered when they’re conscious enough to answer that. Now, if you could help me carry her up?”

“Uh, what about her back?”

“I gave her a little something for the pain. She shouldn’t be feeling it much. Hopefully, she won’t need the help of a syringe when she wakes up.” A sigh, and then after a short pause, I felt myself being picked up again. At this point, I didn’t bother keeping my eyes open, but I could see the changes in lighting through my lids as I was carried through the building. I could feel Mr. Morgan’s pulse against my forehead as my head rested against the crook of his neck. His breathing made a loose strand of hair tickle back and forth against my forehead. It was cold out, and so was the leather of his jacket, but the small sliver of his chest that wasn’t covered with it was warm, and so were his hands. It was a gentle contrast. “Here you are. I’ll go let the sheriff know I’ve got another intake.” Another pause. “Feel free to stay a while, if you like.” And then retreating footsteps.

“You still awake?” Arthur mumbled near my ear as I felt him lay me out on a mattress. Then I felt sheets being pulled over me. It took me a moment to answer, but after swallowing several times, I managed to get the words out.

“Thank you for helping me.” I was able to get the whole sentence out without stumbling and stuttering, but I had to speak slowly, and it came out slurred, like I’d downed a bottle or two of whiskey. Without the preferable side effects, of course. “I’m sure that man would have killed me if you hadn’t found me.”

I felt the mattress dip next to me, near my hip. “No need to thank me. I’m sure he would have. I’m glad I prevented it.”

“I have a feeling my relief is more than yours.” I smiled faintly at the sound of his exhaled laugh. I opened my eyes, but I could still see blurred shapes. It was a little difficult, my whole body felt heavy, but I managed to extend my hand for him to shake. “Adelaine Henley.”

“Arthur Morgan.” I felt his calloused hand take mine. His hand was big, and warm. I released it after a second and let it drop beside me.

“You paid the doctor?” I blinked my eyes repeatedly, wanting so badly to see straight, but I only ended up suppressing a groan, and another rush of vile starting to rise in my throat.

“Yes, I, uh- I did.” I hummed quietly in response, then spoke again after a moment.

“How much was it?”

“There’s no need to pay me back. It ain’t that big a deal.”

“Mr. Morgan, whether we’re in Valentine or Saint Denis or New York, the doctor’s fees are never cheap. Especially for an overnight patient.” I paused to swallow again. “How much have you paid him?”

Arthur didn’t speak for a long moment. It was my sigh and moving to sit up that made him speak up, while gently pushing me to lay down again. “Alright, alright..” His grumpy grumbling made me chuckle silently. “Ten dollars for the medicine, five dollars for tonight’s stay, three dollars for treatment.”

“My belongings are lost. So I can’t pay you at the moment. But I will once I have. If it’s not been stolen yet.” I spoke up again quickly before he got the chance to refuse. “If that’s the case, I’ll collect the money from Rhodes to pay you. That’s final.”

“If I wasn’t looking at you, I’d think you were my mother.” He chuckled.

“‘Suppose your mother’s like the best of ‘em. Same as I.” Some more chuckling.

“Yeah. She was, far as I remember.” I heard him clear his throat, then felt him shift beside me. “Anyway, were you travelin’ with anyone?”

“I was, with my guard.” I reached up blindly, and felt around my neck for a moment before I pulled my necklace off and handed it to him. “His picture is in my locket. I think he got hurt, too. Doctor mentioned someone with a head injury coming in too, right? Could you check if he’s in one of the other rooms here?” Arthur was quiet again. I heard him fiddling with the locket, and I heard the little hinges creak once he finally got the locket open.

“Sure, I’ll check for you.” The bed shifted again as Arthur stood up. I felt him gently pull my fingers open, and he put the necklace in my hand. “You get some rest. I’ll track ‘im down for you.”

“Thank you, Arthur. I appreciate it.” I heard him hum in response, then his retreating footsteps, then the door opening and closing shortly after. I shifted to lay more comfortably. It didn’t take long to fall asleep.

I woke up with a start. I could see clearly this time. It was dark out, with the light of the street lamps filtering in through the small window on the opposite side of the room. And above me was Lodewijk, his blonde hair disheveled and clear eyes panicked.

“Christ,” he exhaled, his peppermint warm breath brushing over my face. I watched as all tension left him in what must have been less than a second. “I’m sorry.”

“Are you okay?” I leaned up onto my elbows, and he immediately adjusted the pillows behind me, before he ran his hands over my head delicately, feeling the stitches hiding under my hair, then looked over what he could of my body. I huffed softly and lightly pushed his hands away. “Lodewijk.”

“I’m fine. Nothing more than a bump.” He lifted my hand and pressed my fingers to his forehead. There was a small indent, just an impression, no cut or puncture. I breathed out my relief as well. “I’m pretty sure he was going to kill me, too, but he may have been interrupted.”

“Kill you, too?” I asked curiously. He cleared his throat.

“The driver. And well.. you. If Mr. Morgan hadn’t found you.” He looked behind him, and I leaned over, smiling gratefully at Arthur when I saw him lingering at the door frame.

“How’d you find each other?” I glanced back and forth between them.

“Well, when I was lookin’ through the rooms in here, I couldn’t find him. Turns out he left sometime while the doctor was treatin’ you. So I go out and look through the town, on the outskirts, too. I gave a few rounds, and I almost , but then I saw him ridin’ a loose coach shire along the road southwest up towards Valentine. When I mentioned your name, he attacked me.” I raised my brows and looked at Lodewijk. To anyone else, he would have seemed nonchalant, but I could see the underlying sheepishness.

“I didn’t get a good look at whoever attacked us, and I was still a little out of it. When he mentioned your name, I was sure he was looking to finish things.” I hummed softly and nodded, and smiled when I looked at Arthur again.

“I hope he didn’t hurt you much.” Arthur chuckled and shook his head, glancing downward as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

“No ma’am, Mr. Boer is strong, but a little uncoordinated.” He then leaned against the door frame, thumbs tucked under his belt.

“Don’t be so cocky, Mr. Morgan. Mr. Boer is a formidable opponent with an injury. I pity the fool who’d cross him while at his full potential.” Arthur let out a huff of laughter, and Lodewijk smiled, very subtly, proud.

“I’ll take your word for it.” He stood up straight now, and reached up to rub the nape of his neck. “It’s gettin’ late. I should be headin’ back.”

“Yes! Of course, um..” I went to pat at my torso, but then remembered I wasn’t wearing my dress, and my purse was probably in the coach. I instead reached forward and patted at Lodewijk’s hips. I slipped a hand into one of the pockets of his trousers, and thankfully found a thin clip of money. I held it up to Arthur. “It’s enough to cover for the doctor’s fees, but not much extra. I’m sorry I can’t do much to compensate right now, but I'll be staying here in Valentine for the next few days. Come see me sometime tomorrow or the day after. I’ll pay you the rest.”

“I told you it ain’t necessary, Adelaine, I-“ I cut him off with a stern look and a sway of the clip. He hesitated, then sighed and stepped forward, slowly, taking the clip between two of his fingers and tucking it into his jean pocket. “Tomorrow noon.”

“Tomorrow noon,” I repeated. He nodded, and tipped his hat at Lodewijk and I before turning around and closing the door on his way out. Lodewijk looked at me.

“Adelaine?” I rolled my eyes and tugged him a little closer by the collar of his shirt, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.

“Let’s go to bed. We have a lot of work tomorrow.”

”I’m sorry, Adelaine.” The look on his face and the tone of his voice was soft. “If I hadn-“

”Don’t start.” I pressed two fingers to his lips, and smiled sweetly. I knew him. He was far too hard on himself on such matters. “It wasn’t your fault. I was distracted, too. I insisted on you riding with me in the coach. I know none of this would have happened if I wasn’t so needy.” He opened his mouth to counter that, but chose to stay quiet when I just tapped his lips with my fingers. “Let’s go to bed. We have a long day tomorrow. Lot of work.” He hummed, eyes scanning my face slowly, and pressed one more kiss to my lips, lingering a little longer, before he stood up. He made sure I was laying comfortably before he walked to the bed on the other side of the room. I fell asleep while watching him get ready for bed.


	3. Recollection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, a new chapter?? 5 months later??? Am I not just the worst!?
> 
> In all seriousness, I want to apologize for taking so damn long. It hasn't been a good year for me, at all. And I also want to thank those of you who have stuck around, particularly from when there was a first version of this work. Seriously, that's a whole new level of patience I cannot fathom.
> 
> I've had this draft sitting around for the entirety of these last 5 months, and I've finally finished it. I hope you enjoy it. If you'd like to leave me a comment, I do really appreciate them, even if I don't reply to them. I'm a weird human being who's weird at interactions.

“Good thing the teller from yesterday was working today, too. It would have put us in a truly tight spot otherwise,” I muttered as I stepped out of the bank, with Lodewijk trailing close behind as he held the door open for the two of us. I unraveled the strings keeping the distressed leather envelope closed and peered at the thick billfolds of cash inside, lips pursed. I paused in front of the steps as I pulled out a few bills before handing the envelope to Lodewijk. “Could you go get us some clothes and a meal for us while I settle things at the hotel?”  
“You don’t want me to stay with you?” He looked between the envelope in my hand and my eyes, hesitant, and I understood why. After the past day’s events, anyone would be feeling wary. But I was feeling rather confident, so I shook my head.  
“It’ll be fine. The bar and general store are right across from the hotel, and the town’s at its busiest right now. There’s too many people around, I know he won’t be coming. He’d be stupid to.” I paused a moment. “We’ll be fine. I’ll be fine.” It sounded pretentious, but I knew his worries centered around my well-being. It had always been that way, ever since we met. I could tell by his eyes that he wasn’t entirely convinced, but he didn’t like to go against my word, direct command or not. So he took the envelope from my hands.  
“I’m assuming you’ll jump straight into the bath, so I’ll knock on the door in fifteen minutes?” I nodded, and we separated.  
“Get some horses, too!” I called out over my shoulder before stepping into the hotel and pulling the door shut behind me.  
At twelve o’clock, the door opened again, and Lodewijk and I stepped out of the hotel to take a seat on the bench outside the door, well rested, well fed, spotless and in fresh clothes. The general store didn’t have his preferred style of clothing, so he made with some gray ranch pants, an white overshirt and a dark brown scout jacket. He looked hecking handsome in them.  
He picked out an outfit from the catalogue for me, named ‘The Blackrose Bounty Hunter’, that was quite stylish, as well as comfortable and flexible, appropriate for the day’s errands. I wasn’t sure a dress would be the best choice of attire for something like a repossession.  
“Adelaine.” I looked up from my book as Arthur stopped at the bottom of the steps, tipping his hat in a greeting. Then he looked at Lodewijk and added, “Mr. Boer.” I snapped the book shut with a smile, and Lodewijk was quick to stand before I did, taking my book from me and handing me the leather envelope.  
“Good afternoon, Arthur. Thank you for meeting me.” I took out the thickest of the two billfolds from the envelope as I stepped closer to the edge of the deck, then held out the money out to him. “Here you are. Thankfully, the bank didn’t ask us for identification again.” He took it from me, and I tried to show him my sincerity through my smile as well as my words. “Thank you, truly. I know I wouldn’t be standing here today if you hadn’t helped me.”  
“I hope it doesn’t come across wrong, miss, but I couldn’t leave a young lady such as yourself like that.” He tucked the billfold into his satchel. I watched him with a short shake of my head.  
“Arthur, strong or not, I wouldn’t have been able to escape a situation like that without your assistance. Besides, it’ll take a lot more than calling me a ‘damsel in distress’ to injure my ego.” He smiled at me, one of those smiles that could barely be told apart from a neutral set of his lips.  
“And your stagecoach? Have you gotten it back?” He looked somewhat confused when I shook my head again. “Though you were gonna pay me after finding it.”  
“Well, we’ve already troubled you so much, and we wouldn’t want to trouble you anymore. Besides, we can handle a simple repossession.” I glanced at Lodewijk over my shoulder, just to check that he agreed, then turned to face Arthur again.  
“Well, it’s no trouble.” He began taking a cigarette out of his satchel, then seemed to second guess himself, but continued when I offered him a reassuring gesture. “If you’d like my help, I don’t mind.”  
“Oh. Then, thank you.” I handed the envelope back to Lodewijk to put in his satchel. “We still haven’t picked up the horses from the stables. Would you like to come with or..?”  
Arthur took a single step back and gestured for me to lead the way. I smiled a little wider, and we walked side by side to the stables at a slow, leisurely pace, Lodewijk following closely behind. “So, where you coming from, Adelaine? You don’t seem to be from around here.”  
“Well, I was born in Lemoyne,- Rhodes, but I was raised in New York. I go down there briefly every other year. It used to be every year, when I was married.” Arthur paused mid-puff to look at me, brows furrowed deeply. He took the cigarette out of his mouth, exhaled, then looked at me again.  
“I-I’m sorry, you’re divorced?” I nodded. “How old are you?” I snorted quietly and raised my brows, giving Arthur a look.  
“Why, that’s a rude question to ask a lady, Mr. Morgan,” I chastised playfully, but immediately dismissed any chances of him taking that scolding seriously when I scoffed a short laugh. “I’m 22. I got divorced when I was 19. It wasn’t a long marriage.” I didn’t offer more than that, and thankfully, he didn’t ask. He simply nodded, and put his cigarette to his lips again. I assumed he felt he’d intruded enough.  
We reached the stables, and Arthur and I sat on the bench outside to continue our small talk while Lodewijk walked inside to deal with business. “So, what about you, Arthur? Are you married?”  
“Not me, no. I was ‘bout to, but she realized she was makin’ a mistake, and she left.” Arthur chuckled softly as he flicked his cigarette. I hummed softly and shifted in my seat, stretching out my legs and crossing them at the ankles.  
“You don’t seem all that bad to me. Well, I saw you at that fight outside the saloon, but that doesn’t tell me much.” We both chuckled. “I’m hoping I get to know you better. And I hope you won’t give me a reason to agree with your ex-fiancee.”  
“I’m sure I'll find a way.” My response was a quiet motorboat, then a soft ‘thank you’ when he held out a bottle of whiskey to me. I popped the cork out, took a moment to catch a whiff of the liquor, then took a long, slow sip before handing the bottle to him. I watched him for a second, eyes fixed on the way his throat moved with every chug of whiskey. And then he watched me when he handed the bottle back to me. “I hate to be so rude, but.. You don’t seem much like most of them girls come from rich families.”  
“Ah, I can explain.” I licked my lips after another sip, and handed the bottle to Arthur again. “My mother, I have a feeling she isn’t the type of women who has ever or will ever want or like children. She was very uninvolved with me. But my father did like me, does like me, and he liked, and does like, that I’ve always had an interest in business, and hunting, and gambling, you know, signature man stuff, while still being quite feminine. He said it was like having two children in one.” I paused as we shared a laugh, then continued as I waved my hand in dismissal when he offered the bottle to me again. “Still, my mom wasn’t cruel. Just... uninvolved.”  
“I’m glad, Adelaine. Parents can, uh..” he cleared his throat, then continued after a quick sip of whiskey, “they can have a big impact on their children, whether it’s obvious or not.”  
The last minute was quiet, until Lodewijk walked out of the stables, leading two beautiful chocolate roan Dutch Warmbloods, with beautiful black upgraded saddles and hooded stirrups. Arthur and I stood in unison, and he walked with me to my horse, offering me his hand to help me up. “Thank you,” I breathed out once I settled on the horse, and gave him a gentle pat on the neck before looking around. “Which one’s your mount?”  
“Give me a moment.” He let out a long whistle, and after a few seconds, a gorgeous brindled Thoroughbred rounded the corner of the gunsmith’s and raced down the main street towards us. My brows shot up in amazement, quickly turning in my saddle to look at Arthur.  
“I’ve seen very few brindled Thoroughbreds before. However did you manage to find one?” Arthur laughed at the look on my face as he hoisted himself up onto his own saddle.  
“Well, if I’m right, and it’s a gang that took your stagecoach, it’ll be the same gang that I rescued this horse from during an ambush.” My eyes snapped up from his horse back to him.  
“An ambush on you?” He nodded, and I blew a breath. “Glad you survived.”  
“So, where do we start looking?” I hadn’t realized that I hadn’t heard Lodewijk speak since Arthur joined us, so the sound of his voice took me somewhat by surprise.  
“Ain’t got a specific location. They’re a big gang, and they move in small groups of about four to eight. They camp pretty often, and near here. Usually around the Heartlands. ‘M sure it won’t take long.”  
“Right. Let’s go, then.” With a gentle kick to my horse’s side, I set off in the direction of the train station, and Arthur was quick to catch up, riding by my side, while Lodewijk followed a little behind, again.  
—-  
“... all of them ‘ve dropped from their horses, dead, he’s the last one standing, but the dumb bastard decides it’s still a good idea to chase me down. Of course, I drop him, too, and I decide to chase down his horse, cause it seems too nice to let loose. Took me nearly an hour of chasing her around before I could catch her, only because I’d gotten her exhausted.” Arthur and I both laughed, stopping at the highest ledge of Caliban's Seat, overlooking the Dakota River, and watched as he leaned over to give his beautiful girl a pat on the neck. “Damn near gave up. I’d already pumped my horse with three vials of stimulant, was afraid I’d really get some damage in if I gave him another, but then she just stopped.”  
“You haven’t named her yet?” Arthur shook his head, sitting up and joining me and Lodewijk in taking our binoculars out to search for any signs of an O’Driscoll camp.  
“No, I haven’t. John- my friend, he suggested I name her Heather. But I don’t quite like it. Another friend of mine, Charles, he named his horse Taima, which means thunder. It’d be perfect for her, but I think it’s pretty clear I can’t give her that name.” We were all quiet as we searched along the river bank, upwards. After a minute, I put my binoculars down and looked at Arthur.  
“How about Astrape?” Arthur put his own binoculars down to look at me. “She’s the Greek goddess of lightning and thunder. Or Bronte, her twin sister. And there’s also Fulgora, who was the Roman personification of lightning.”  
“I don’t know…” He tried repeating each name out loud a few times, then shook his head. “Don’t know that I like ‘em much.” I took another moment, then looked at him again.  
“How about Leizi?” Arthur repeated it out loud, and he was smiling when he looked at me again.  
“I like that.” I beamed at my success, and raised the binoculars to my eyes again. Arthur did too. “What’s the origin of that one?”  
“Chinese. She is the goddess of lightning, and is married to Leigong, who is the ‘Lord of Thunder.’”  
“How do you know ‘bout all that?”  
“A lot of free time, and a lot of dusty books.”  
“Over there.” Arthur and I turned to where Lodewijk was pointing, then raised our binoculars to get a closer look. Sure enough, between the river road and the slope leading up to Painted Sky ranch, just barely hidden by the trees, was a camp made up of three tents and two wagons, guarded by multiple men in black and green.  
“How many are there?” asked Arthur from beside me, and there was a moment of silence before Lodewijk spoke up.  
“Six. Two by the fire, three in the tents, one caring for the horses.” We all lowered our binoculars. Arthur and I looked at each other.  
“You’re the one with experience dealing with them. What do you think?” Arthur released a heavy breath, rolling his shoulders as he thought about an answer, then looked at me again.  
“You any good with long range weapons?”  
“I have no experience shooting at humans, but I’m a very good shot when I’m out hunting.” My answer seemed to satisfy him because he nodded and pulled a rolling block rifle from under his saddle and held it out to me. “Mr. Boer and I, we’re gonna go down there, try to get some answers from them. If they turn hostile, shoot ‘em down. Whether you kill ‘em or not is not important. What matters is at least one of ‘em is alive at the end. We need them to tell us where your coach is.”  
“A-Alright. Sure. I can do that.” I took the rifle from him and rolled it in my hands, examining it, then strapped it to my own saddle to take the bandolier from him. Arthur caught on to my nervousness with ease. The idea of shooting at something without the intent of using the meat for a meal would do that to me.  
“Like I said, you don’t have to kill them. Mr. Boer and I can take care of that. Just make sure you find some good cover with the best vantage point you can manage, and if you’re not wanting to hurt them yourself, try disarming them.”  
“I got it.” I slung the bandolier over my shoulder, and Arthur gave my shoulder a gentle pat before he and Lodewijk began riding away. “Watch yourselves.”  
The only indication that they’d heard me was a two-finger salute from Arthur, and Lodewijk turned in his saddle just enough to look at me with a curt nod.  
About twenty minutes later, I watched from behind a big boulder, rifle loaded and ready in my hands, as Arthur and Lodewijk left their horses a good fifty feet or so from the camp. From my spot, I had a somewhat narrow but mostly unobstructed view of the camp, save for the tents. I raised my arm and waved it when I caught the two looking towards the edge of the cliff, searching for me, and when they caught sight of me, they began walking up towards the camp, hands hovering near their holsters. A deep breath, and then I raised my rifle, watching the O’Driscolls through the scope.  
When the first of them saw Arthur and Lodewijk walking through the trees towards the small camp, my finger moved from the guard to the trigger, ready to pull at any given moment. It caught me by surprise, when not even a minute later, the gunshots where echoing all the way up to my position behind the boulder. I got to work quickly, steadily shooting off round after round, aiming for the guns in the hands of the enemies. It was over as quickly as it began. As soon as the last O’Driscoll was disarmed, he was lassoed by Arthur and yanked to the ground. I wouldn’t be surprised if he lost a tooth or two by the way he slammed face first against the ground. Lodewijk waved me down while Arthur was busy tying the O’Driscoll to a tree.  
By the time I stopped my horse between the trees, the leads of Arthur’s and Lodewijk’s in my hands, Arthur was finished pistol-whipping the O’Driscoll to unconsciousness. “You got the location from him?”  
“He said there’s a few men down at Flatneck Station. They’re waiting for someone to pick up the stagecoach to sell.” Lodewijk made his way back to his horse, taking the lead from me and hoisting up onto his saddle.  
“Guess we have to hurry then,” I muttered, shifting on my saddle. Arthur looked up at me as he wiped his cattleman on his pant leg.  
“You did real good, Adelaine. I know you told me you’re a good shot, but you still managed to impress me.” With a grin, I held the lead of his horse out for him to take.  
“I am rather impressive.” Arthur laughed, taking the lead from me and hoisting himself up onto his own saddle. I pulled the bandolier from around me as well, and held it out to him. “Let’s go?”  
“Let’s go.”  
—-  
Another hour later, we were pulling up to the hitching post just past the train tracks, and I sat up in my saddle at the sight of my stagecoach, sitting on a patch of grass behind the building, surrounded by men in black and green. More O’Driscolls.  
“I guess that’s the one?” Arthur asked with furrowed brows. I nodded quickly, and Lodewijk grunted in his own response, sliding off his saddle. “Alright then.” Arthur got off his horse, gave her a pat, then drew a repeater from the saddle. “We’ll be right back. Stay here.”  
“Okay.” I watched the two of them walk towards the stagecoach, Arthur with his Lancaster in his hands, Lodewijk unholstering his double-action. Being within earshot this time around, I managed to catch the initial exchange, but just like before, it was very brief.  
“Seems like you feller’s are trying to sell a coach that ain’t yours,” Arthur announced loudly before the men had noticed them approaching, but as soon as they were alerted, they all turned in their direction, their own guns in hand.  
“What’s it to you? Ain’t yours, is it?” Right off the bat, the man’s tone was hostile. Arthur cleared his throat, shifted his weight on his feet.  
“No, not mine. But it’s theirs.” He jerked his head towards me, and Lodewijk, who was just a foot behind him. “That ain’t very nice of you, stealing from such a nice little lady.”  
“That’s where you’re wrong, mister. We found this piece abandoned on the road. If she wanted it so much, she shouldn’t have abandoned it.” This man’s tone was taunting instead.  
“That ain’t for you to say, because it ain’t yours. It’s hers. And she wants it back.” The exchange was making Arthur turn hostile, too. “Make this easy for yourselves. ‘Cause I sure won’t.”  
And just like that, the gunshots were echoing all around us again. Arthur dove behind a shed on the corner of the station for cover, and Lodewijk ran to take cover somewhere out of my line of sight. Every man lingering around the station immediately began running off in different directions, wanting to be anywhere but there. I was stuck, though, keeping a tight grip on the horses’ leads in fear that they’d run off, agitated as they were getting. And I was still stuck when a bullet grazed my neck and a lock of hair slid down my back. It took a lot of restraint to not release Leizi’s lead to nurse my neck. Unfortunately, I still couldn’t do anything to keep the stage coach horses from bolting. “SHIT!”  
“The horses will be fine! Go get it!” I heard Arthur yell out through all the gunfire. I didn’t hesitate, immediately releasing the other leads. I grabbed the lasso hanging from Leizi’s saddle and set off after the rogue stagecoach.  
It took a few hard kicks against my poor horse’s side, but I was eventually able to catch up to the coach. There was no way of getting close enough to hop onto it without getting crashed into as it swerved recklessly. So I pulled out the rifle instead. It took a minute, but I was able to line myself up, and then I began shooting at the pole (Where the horses are attached), again and again, until the wood shattered and set the horses free. Without thinking, I released the rifle, letting it fall to the ground, and grabbed the lasso instead. I held it ready in my hand as I maneuvered to ride behind the stagecoach. Then I pulled on the reins, hard, making my horse skid to a halt, and immediately threw the loo. I watched it as it flew through the air, then catch onto the lantern hook. The force of the still moving coach was nearly enough to pull me from my saddle, my legs quickly squeezing around my horse to keep me from flying off of it. Instead, the coach rolled right onto it’s rear, and I caught my breath, watching the front wheels still spinning in the air.  
“Remind me of this if I ever attempt to help you with any other stagecoach problems.” I turned in my saddle to look at Arthur riding up to me, the rifle I’d discarded earlier strapped to his saddle, and a big grin on his lips, chest shaking with soft chuckles. “I can’t be gettin’ into fights with O’Driscolls over stagecoaches.”  
“Oh, but you don’t mind fighting O’Driscolls over horses?” I teased with a raised brow. Another chuckle from him, as he hopped down from his horse and walked up to me to help me off mine. He took a look at the wound on the side of my neck, then pulled his bandana from around his neck and soaked it with water from his canteen before he pressed it to my neck, careful not to hurt me.  
“The horse was just a very nice bonus.”  
“Well, I’ll hope your reward will be a very nice bonus, too.” Once he pulled the wet cloth away, I walked up to the stagecoach, pulling the loop from the hook and handing it to Arthur before I climbed in through the sideways entrance. “Where’s Lodewijk?”  
“He went to get the horse. Needs to learn his whistle.” I hummed in response. I used my fingers to carefully dig into the underside of the seat cushion and pulled, until the seat came clean off. The tension melted from my body at the sight of the lock box, still inside the secret compartment.  
“Oh, thank god..” I pulled the lock box out and held it out through the window for Arthur to hold while I climbed back out.  
“You got the key?” When I made it back out, Arthur was inspecting the lock. I shook my head.  
“No. I lost it sometime between the attack and the doctor’s office. It was in my dress pocket.”  
He nodded, placed the box on the ground, then took out his revolver and used the handle to break the lock off. “Here you are.” He picked up the now open box and held it out to me.  
“Thank you. I’ll have to invest in better locks.” We shared a laugh. Inside the box was a large jewelry bag, some documents, and a stack of cash. I pulled it all out, dropping the box onto the ground, then held out the stack of cash to Arthur. “Here. For a job very well done.”  
“You’ve already paid me more than enough, Adelaine,” Arthur said with his hands up, trying to refuse the payment, but I just shook the stack insistently.  
“I paid you for rescuing me, and for taking me to the doctors. And I’m paying you know for helping me get my belongings. But I won’t ever be able to pay you enough for saving my life. So at the very least, take this.” He still hesitated, but eventually took the stack from me.  
“Thank you.”  
“Thank you, too. Arthur.” He smiled again and followed me to my horse, where he helped me up onto my saddle after I’d put my belongings in the saddlebag. “You know where you can find me.”  
“Rhodes?”  
“Rhodes,” I confirmed, and raised my hand and gave him a two-finger salute. He laughed at the mimicked gesture, and gave me a salute of his own as he stepped backwards towards his horse. I snapped the reins, and set off on a trot to go find Lodewijk. “See you later, cowboy.”


	4. ReEncounter

“Ms. Henley! Good morning.” I took in a breath and smiled sweetly at the shopkeeper, adjusting the basket handle on the crook of my elbow. “Mr. Boer not with you today?”

 

“No, we went hunting early today, and he stayed behind to take care of the butchering while I do the shopping.” I pulled out a folded piece of paper from inside the basket and placed it on the counter, sliding it across for the shopkeep to take.

 

“Finally letting you out on your own, eh? I don’t think I’ve seen you out by yourself since you arrived last month.” He unfolded the paper, read it over quickly, then began filling my basket when i put it on the counter as well. “Can’t imagine it’s been any easier even at home.”

 

“Not at all. I could barely get away from him for a wash. Thankfully, he’s eased up some now.” I chuckled softly and leaned forward onto the counter, the edge lightly digging into my belly and my fingertips tapping a quiet little melody against the surface. “Anyway, how have you been, Mr. Higgins? Have you found yourself a wife yet?”

 

He let out a laugh, placing the short shopping list back into the basket, then the items, one by one. “No, and I don’t think I will so long as I remain the sole shop owner.”

 

“It isn’t the first time i’ve mentioned it, and it won’t be the last: you should hire someone to help you manage the store, so you can have a few days off a week?” I raised my brow at him, pulling out a few bills out of my wallet and holding them out to him. “And maybe work a little on your opinions on ladies.”

 

“What do you mean?” I raised my brow at the older man, standing up straight smoothing a hand across the fabric covering my belly.

 

“You know perfectly well what I mean! I’ve offered to take up the position every time I travel down here, and you always refuse.” I spoke up again before he had a chance to reply with the usual excuses. “And don’t you tell me it’s because of my financial standing. My father’s money is not my own, it’s just borrowed. And I know I've proven more than once that I am trustworthy, and accountable. I’d be a great employee.”

 

The shopkeep cleared his throat, shifted on his feet. “Well, miss.. I, uh-“ He was cut short by the sound of a door slamming open, and out of reflex, I whirled around to take a look at the source of the disruption.

 

“You sure you ain’t hiding any women’s pants somewhere? These don’t fit me right!” A woman came out of the wardrobe, tugging and wiggling the fabric of the jeans she was trying to fit in. She was clearly frustrated, face and chest blotchy flushed.

 

“I ain’t. There ain’t a market big enough for women’s pants.” Mr. Higgins sighed. I’m not sure if he was annoyed or relieved. Or a mix of both.

 

“He’s telling the truth, although I can understand why you’d doubt him.” I gave him a look, and he had the decency to look somewhat ashamed. I looked at the woman again, and offered a smile. “I can fix a pair or two for you. Not as flawlessly as a seamstress could, mind you, but it’ll hold well.”

 

“Oh, that’s alright, darlin’. I don’t have much to pay you.” She waved a hand slightly in dismissal as she tried to steady her breath.

 

“It’s just a favor. I like wearing pants, too, and I would have appreciated the help the first time I was getting some.” I turned to the shopkeep again. “Have you got a sewing kit anywhere in this store?”

 

“Sure, just not for clothes.” He pulled out an old coffee tin and twisted the lid off. I peered inside at the small spool of thick, black thread and a cluster of needles, some straight, some curved.

 

“It’ll do.” I turned back to the woman, and stepped aside enough to give her access to the catalogue. “Go ahead and pick something out. Maybe a tad bigger so it’s a more comfortable fit?”

 

“You sure it’s okay? It ain’t really necessary.” She still seemed hesitant, but a soft smile and a gesture towards the catalogue seemed enough to dissipate it. She stepped forward, but offered me her hand. “Sadie. Adler.”

 

“Pleasure to meet you, Sadie.” I raised my hand to take hers, giving it a firm shake. “Adelaine. Henley.”

 

“Adelaine. That’s a pretty name.” I felt myself blush a little, both at the compliment and the smile on the woman- Sadie’s lips. It wasn’t lost on me how attractive a woman she was.

 

Fifteen minutes later, I stepped out of the shop with Sadie, my basket, now filled with my groceries, hanging from the crook of my elbow while hers were being loaded onto the wagon parked next to the shop.

 

“How are they feeling?” I asked, taking a quick glance down to see how the fabric shifted, stretched and settled with every step. “Not too tight, not slipping down?”

 

“Not at all. They’re perfect. Thank you again.” She reached up and gave my bicep a quick squeeze.

 

“If you ever need another pair fixed up for you, you can always leave it with Mr. Higgins, and I’ll take care of it, I’m sure slightly better than today.” She hummed and thanked me again. We paused at the back of her wagon, and we promised to see each other again before we parted ways.

 

On the way to the stagecoach station, I ran into Arthur again. He was walking with his head down, reading the letter in his hands. I had to pause and stare at him for a moment, just to make sure that it really was him I was seeing. I felt excitement bloom in my chest, but I maintained my composure. He was just a few feet in front of me when I spoke up.

 

“You’ll run into someone if you don’t look in front of you.” Arthur tripped on his own feet. My instinct was to shoot forward, arms outstretched to catch him if needed, but it didn’t stop me from giggling out loud at the stunned look on his face. Cute.

 

“Adelaine. I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.” The smile on his face was so genuine, and he seemed so content to see me. It was fulfilling. “How have you been?”

 

“Good, good! How about you? Have you been down here long?” I shifted the basket from one elbow to the other, starting to feel the uncomfort the weight brought. Arthur, ever the gentleman, took the basket from me.

 

“Well, I moved down here ‘bout a week ago, but it’s my first time coming into town.” I raised my brows in mild surprise.

 

“A delightful coincidence, then.” Arthur hummed in response, then gave a vague wave of his hand as he took a quick look around us.

 

“And, Mr. Boer? ‘M surprised he ain’t with you today.”

 

“Ah. Right. Well, since the encounter in Valentine, there’s been no other incidents, so he’s eased up a bit.” He was visibly relieved to hear that.

 

“Good. And how about your injuries? They give you any trouble? You got banged up pretty bad.”

 

“I’ve been okay. They took the stitches out a few days ago. I had a little trouble hunting, and had some back trouble, but i got better quickly.” I saw the stagecoach pull up to the platform behind Arthur, and I gestured towards it. “My ride’s here. I’d love to talk to you some more, though. Are you free tonight?” I made a move to take the basket from him, but unsurprisingly, he walked me to the coach instead.

 

“For you, always.” I grinned at that.

 

“Meet me at the saloon, at about… 6 tonight? We could have some dinner together, and maybe a few drinks.”

 

“That sounds lovely.” He helped me step up into the coach when the driver opened the door, and he placed the basket on the floor at my feet before he did one of his two fingered salutes. “I’ll see you tonight.”

 

“And i’ll see you.”


End file.
